Datadesk Smartboard Keyboard
The Datadesk Smartboard is around ~2006.
This one is truly the most innovative, best, ergonomics keyboard, back in 2006. Had a chance to see it in real life at last Northern Cal keyboard meetup. 〔San Francisco Bay Area Mechanical Keyboard Meetup 2018〕
- Its design, is essentially 10 years ahead of its time.
- Only today (2018), we start to see this beginning to be mainstream.
features not in Microsoft Natural Keyboard (1994)
- Mechanical key switchs!
- ortholinear layout
- split space bar.
other common features:
- split and oriented for each hand
- large Alt and Ctrl keys, symmetrically positioned, right under the thumb.
Note the non-staggered key layout. Excellent.
The design of this keyboard is:
- Better than Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, because the 4000 still has staggered key layout, and 4000's stiff spacebar is simply intolerable. The datadesk smartboard has split space bar.
- Comparable to Kinesis Contoured Keyboard. The Datadesktech Smartboard is more practical.
Best of all, it's only $100. All other ergonomic keybinding with mechanical switches costs at least $220. 〔see Best Ergonomic Keyboards, Xah Pick〕
See one review here:
This keyboard used to be on Amazon around 2010 or before. According to reviewers at Amazon, the company Datadesk Tech seems to be around as early as 1990s, and the company seems to be one-man running in basement. Not sure if it is still available.
Call them up on their website and see if they still sell it. at www.datadesktech.com. (if you do, please leave a comment.)